shel80kg Member

Dear Penguinmam, Thank you so much for you lovely message. It was informative, sensitive and really helpful. You put things in perspective for me and that just made me feel so much better. I was shocked to notice the "weight gain" but maybe the fluctuations are due to other forces of nature? I suppose the good thing is…

I'm so disappointed. 3.9 kg increase in 2 weeks. Back to the drawing board. No-one to blame but myself. Trying not to beat myself up. Going to return to intermittent fasting and Keto. Let's see how it goes. Hard not to feel like a failure after all of the hard work. No pity party. Just get back on the horse and get on with…

Food for thought (no pun intended). I think we need the simple pleasures of nice food as a part of our quality of life. It is so easy to link/associate the pleasure with meeting needs that perhaps require a more considered understanding of what is truly good for us. More education? Better food options? Certainly more…

Interesting Alexandra, Hey do you (or others) think food ought not to be used as rewards/motivation for children in order t modify behaviour? Perhaps this sets up the link (neurological connections) that make us attach food to receiving approval or at least a sense of achievement?

Hi again, Moving back to the point of this thread...I have been wondering what people think about the type of foods that might be related to mood fluctuations with an emphasis on low mood? I have often wondered if those of us who use food as "comfort" actually receive some form of elevation of food by way of dopamine or…

HI Kashama and all, I have been really grateful for the honest and challenging comments and feedback. I know I do not wake up in the morning with all of the knowledge required to live the "good" life and achieve important goals such as a healthy lifestyle. This forum has been a magnificent contribution to my motivation and…

I have a general question which is kind of bothering me. I did not realise it but I a number of "warnings" and quite a large number of people who disagreed with quite a number of my posts and I fear that I must have upset people. I guess I made myself think that one could be honest and direct without reprisal. I have to…

That was a really helpful comment. Thank you

I really am sorry for my earlier post. I do feel upset with myself. Again my apologies

Oh my goodness, I am so sorry. I misread Kasham's post as she was reposting someone else. I should have been more careful. Please forgive me as I was wrong in my assumption and my reference to her. I was being too reactive. Again, my apologies.

Aside from the defensive and mean-spirited comments from Kashama (who needs to dismiss my concerns and then accuse me of expecting members to be mental health experts), the past few posting are incredible helpful and sensitive so thank you. The amazing stories, the reflections and personal experiences which reflect how…

Hi Everyone, I wonder if there are individuals who are overweight who have peace and acceptance with their body and eating behaviour? Maybe we have become obsessed with body image? Perhaps? This forum (my fitness pal) relies heavily on our fear and even paranoia that our weight issues require such grave concerns and…

Hi Ann, That was a very well written response and my sense is that you made great effort in trying to be respectful and honest with your views regarding mental heath. May I reassure you that one doesn't need to be a mental health expert to be helpful or interactive which, I imagine, is not inconsistent with the general…

Quiet on the home front. Do you think there is a stigma with mental health? I wonder if it is far less fashionable to deal with mental health then it is to address weight loss and healthy life-style issues. I imagine that the depth of difficulties that perplex people who struggle with depression, anxiety, severe trauma…

I have been thinking about the title of this thread and I wonder if it makes any sense at all. There is no real balance between Mental Health and Weight Loss and perhaps I combined the two concepts to fit the context; this platform. What might make far more sense is Mental and the impacts on life-style choices including…

Hey Lex*, Thanks for sharing and I think we have all moved on from the comments some weeks ago. We have all had our challenges with weight loss, health issues, mental health issues and we create out stories from our experiences. I am learning a great deal from both the narratives of others and the one(s) in my own mind and…

Hi Everyone, I don't know about medication and weight gain but I am aware that the side effects of psychotropic medications can often be more detrimental than the problem. Weight gain could, for some, be one of these paradoxes. Secondly, I think telling our personal stories regarding how we came to the point where our…

I would go so far as to say that perhaps I inadvertently feel sorry for myself and look for excuses. Thank you all.

I accept the direct and indirect ways I have been resisting feedback and even helpful suggestions. I will slow my emotional responses down and just try and take in all of the helpful posts. My apologies.

Hi Everyone, Thank you thinasulike but everyone is entitled to their opinion. I must admit, having said this, that the biases that seem to apparent certainly make me sad as I really do not think I use my mental health issues as a "crutch". In fact, I have been most reluctant to even make references to my depression and…

Down day..... It all seems a bit pointless to start a new way of eating/behaving. I will most likely break my own rules and make things worse. I feel like giving up .

Hi everyone, Apologies if I became a bit defensive/argumentative. I do appreciate that people come from a "good" place when reflecting on the very personal pursuits of improving mental and physical health. We share our stories in order to enlighten others and create new possibilities when the old pathways seem stale and f…

I suspect that the mistaken application of the principle of learned helplessness isn't want you mean. Consider using the more accurate application of :"victim consciousness" which makes more sense and is more in keeping with the tendency for people to perceive a loss of power and control when in fact one has absolute…

....Or, the application of the concept is (yet again) simplistic and does not account for the ways in which are circadian cycles are altered during our lives. The sleep experts, not unlike the weight management gurus, might offer easy to understand strategies for resuming "normal" or typical sleeping patterns. Tell that to…

Just wondering if relying on "heavy sleep medication" might be an example of learned helplessness. After all, we have the capacity to sleep and babies do not need to learn this. Perhaps, it is a sign of giving up on going to sleep naturally. Just saying.

I would like to respond to the last insert (pengionmam...)I respect your opinion and you have correctly described your tendency to be perceived as offensive if/when you imply "learned helplessness" or "hyper-sensitivity" when one is expressing frustration/disappointment with the simplicity of responses to complex…

I really appreciate everyone's comments. I have been looking through other threads and comments from the Gurus here at MFP. I have a sense that the standard "party line" is that one should side-step the temptation to delve into mental health issues and just swim on the surface of the simplistic (yet difficult to implement…

I though I would add a few more thoughts and then ask a question. Firstly, the weight management industry of which MFP exists within has some wonderful resources and recommendations which can offer a meaningful pathway towards eating in a healthy manner and experiencing great results in achieving the desired outcomes. This…

I have read the responses and wonder if some of us find it difficult to operationalize the intelligent ideas and suggestions apparent in the above postings. I remember thinking as I read through the opinions that there may be a reluctance to link "mental health" to body image, patterns established which lead to unhealthy…

Dear 88olds I appreciate your willingness to share your story and the amazing story of your weight loss. It sounds like you have truly embraced the best strategies that work for you and there is clearly wisdom in what you write. Thank you for your input and congratulations.